the last Labour governments passion for spending money we did not have is clearly shown in Network Rail and an article in the Guardian from Friday 2nd July, tiitled Red for Danger. The article states that Network Rail owes £23bn and the debt is set to rise to £30bn by 2014. The interest on this debt of £5bn per year will then exceed the value of the government subsidy. This is a good example of how the Labour debt mountain is cutting spending on vital services Now. The labour Party is taking every oportunity of attacking the "Coalition cuts" but ...
Just a thought really. If we had proportional representation, say, the referendum next May included a choice and if STV or some other PR system won - what would the Lib Dems then be like as a party? Would we stay as a single party or split between so-called 'Economic Liberals' and 'Social Liberals' to create a kind of FDP or VVD and then a D66-like party respectively? Of course not in isolation to what Labour and the Conservative parties might look like given such an event. What would be the benefits and the risks of change? I hear and ...
Michael Gove has apparently asked Niall Ferguson to re-write the history curriculum for schools. I'm not convinced this is a good idea. Apparently Ferguson plans to introduce more use of TV, and the use of war games to encourage learning (reported in The Guardian). There has to be more to teaching history than war. Whilst wars have often been the turning points for change, history is also about our economic development, the story of how ordinary lives have changed, political development in other parts of the world, and so much more. I'm sure that there are more progressive ways to ...
[IMG: Tandem] There will be more road diversions from tomorrow — at least tomorrow is the date advised by Cambridgeshire County Council — as they begin a new road layout. Motorists will not be able to turn into Brooklands Avenue from Hills Road during the period of the work, which could take seven months or more, but will instead be diverted down Long Road. The County Council has trialled cycle lanes on the bridge this year. The trial has been very well received, surprisingly so — and they are now installing permanent cycle lanes. Bizarrely, the new layout won't be ...
Liberal Democrat Cambridge City Council has devolved some functions to local 'area committees', each covering a geographical quarter of the city. Queen Edith's is part of the South Area, which also includes Cherry Hinton and Trumpington. The committee comprises the councillors for the three wards. Last Thursday it met at Homerton College for the first time - a handy venue on the mainbus routes, but swelteringly hot last week. Fortunately chilled water and fans were close at hand. For my sins, I have been elected to chair it for the coming municipal year, taking over from Trumpington councillor Andy Blackhurst ...
Regular readers of this blog (if there are any) will know that the combination of old-fashioned and radically modern is, in my opinion, often a sign of institutions that are going in the right direction. Slow Food, for example. And it seems to me that the UK's primary schools are often in the same category. In fact, our primary schools are in many ways the jewel in the crown of British public services in this country, despite more than a decade of Ofsted's less than tender ministrations. They are humane places, with committed and professional staff, who have largely managed ...
The previous Labour government had a habit of taking as gospel views from senior members of select professions. Whilst many professions were instinctively seen as self-interested dinosaurs when speaking up for their professions, both senior police and senior military were however often treated as if unimpeachable experts. It's been a welcome sign from both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat members of the new government that senior military are seen as they should be – often expert, certainly experienced but by no means infallible and often to be questioned. That's the right attitude, but it's one that is clearly ruffling some ...
Most widely predicted results: Brazil beating North Korea (98.4%) Brazil beating Chile (95.7%) Argentina beating Greece (92.3%) Germany beating Uruguay (92.2%) Least unexpected draw: USA-Slovenia (34.2%) Least expected results: Serbia beating Germany (6.5%) Switzerland beating Spain (8.0%) Mexico and South Africa drawing (8.9%) England and Algeria drawing (9.2%) Côte d'Ivoire and Portugal drawing (9.4%) And of the 281 people who put in 4015 predictions, the overall winner, by the merest hair, is chickenfeet2003 who correctly forecast 33 of the 64 matches. Seven of us got 32 correct - they were 10yroldwhizkid, getawaywithit, horizon_radar, hotaruanne, madam_raven, redfiona99 and, I am glad ...
Writing in the Observer, Henry Porter praises the coalition government: "Despite George Osborne's budget, despite what we know is coming down the pike in the way of spending cuts, unemployment, the erosion of pensions and the possibility of a deeper recession, the coalition is popular, or at least tolerated, because the daily exercise of power seems more humane, reasonable and commonsensical than at any time during the last five years under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown." But how, asks The Devil's Knife, will people be able to vote for the coalition at the next election if they share Porter's enthusiasm? ...
Not a bad world cup for me personally , as I had Holland in the office sweepstake...But the gane that riveted me most was New Zealand 1 Italy 1 - a defiant performace by the All Whites.And am I the first person to point out that New Zealand were the only team to leave the World Cup Finals unbeaten?
While doing a bit more research on the badger culling promised by the Agriculture Minister despite the evidence from the latest studies showing it to be ineffective: "Our findings show that the reductions in cattle TB incidence achieved by repeated badger culling were not sustained in the long term after culling ended and did not offset the financial costs of culling. These results, combined with evaluation of alternative culling methods, suggest that badger culling is unlikely to contribute effectively to the control of cattle TB in Britain." I happened upon this press release from DefraChanges to badger vaccine deployment project ...
via telegraph.co.uk Sarah Palin's new "mom awakening" TV spot has sparked a fresh round of speculation that she will run for president in 2012. The spot is a clever piece of political narrative, based firmly on the "rot at the top" archetype. Palin warns of a "fundamental transformation of America", with her country's children and grandchildren under threat from an unnamed enemy within. To ram it all home, she compares America's 'awakening mom' to a grizzly bear protecting her cubs - a cultural story that everyone can understand. The spot packs a powerful emotional punch, without saying outright what the ...
These rules shall be used for the selection of prospective parliamentary candidates in all constituencies in England, with the following exceptions: by-elections, the re-selection of sitting MPs, and constituencies in local parties suspended by the region, where separate processes shall apply. In the event of an imminent General Election, the ECC may vary these rules to ensure that all constituencies have an approved candidate in place. Within this one set of rules, there are two tracks: one for priority seats and one for all other seats. More is expected of priority seats at all stages of the process but it ...
It's great It's all the same old, same old It's great - well Dave is anyway
Now I am not a massive fan of BSF and have said so in various other forums. But, for the sake of fairness and openness, I have published here the list of schools that are affected by Michael Gove's proposals to close the BSF initiative altogether. BSF School Closure List Filed under: Spidey Says Tagged: ...
David Cameron told the News of the World today (via the BBC website) that he is terrified by the prospect of finding a good state secondary school for his children. Millions of parents every year struggle to find schools in catchment areas that they can qualify for and which are suitable for their children. David ...
I don't normally announce new links but lists are becoming a touch large so additions might be missed. So I announce... Richard D North Freedom Scares Me
I've been a bit light on the blogging front this weekend as I've had a really busy few days - I've lots to catch you all up on this week including our trip to the Doctor Who exhibition in Newcastle which was so utterly awesome that I am tingling with excitement at the thought of writing the post. I collapsed in a heap when I got home from there on Thursday night and didn't really come too until teatime on Friday. Yesterday we spent up in Crieff with our wonderful friends Louise and Martin and their 4 lovely daughters. Their ...
Sun 11th
17:54
LibDem ministers "swallowed the budget like rotten food" - secret diary of a civil servant
This "Secret diary of a civil servant" in today's Observer is worth reading. If anything makes me even more nervous about the direction of the coalition government, it is this allegedly insider account of it. I have noted since the election that Conservative ministers seem very relaxed. I, like many others, interpreted this as confidence and competence. After last week, it started to look like naivety and arrogance. The gaffes were piling up and forming an edifice of stupidity. Ministers called to the Commons to apologise; Hillsborough survivors insulted; Jamie Oliver criticised; the Speaker called a stupid sanctimonious dwarf; school ...
This is the third book by Justin Richards I have got through in the last two months - I started listening to Freema Agyeman reading it on the way back from the Hague on Friday and finished it doing the shopping this afternoon. I wasn't overwhelmed; I thought Richards had caught Martha and Ten very nicely, but I got distracted by wondering how your physiology would work if you got turned into glass, and I also wasn't sure that the plot bore close scrutiny. In fact, I felt it would have made a better comic strip story than an audio ...
"Circles" - last of the New Seekers series!
There are reports today of how new Tory MP Mark Reckless (no, it's not my risque alter-ego!) lived up to his name and got so drunk on the night of the second reading of the finance bill that he fell asleep and had to be bundled in the back of a taxi by colleagues. Needless to say he missed the vote and is now in a spot of trouble with the Tory whips. It was not just Mark. Apparently there were quite a few MPs, many of them recently newly elected who got pretty sozzled and there are reports that ...
Updating this site has been a bit of a challenge this past week, relying on the dubious quality of internet access from a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. The photo below is of me, smiling through, despite a connection speed that was horrendously slow! This update is coming from Barcelona Airport as we fly home tonight (internet speed here superb!) I will bore everyone with a few holiday photos on this site over the next few days. Super holiday, by the way!
From the Council: Stockport Council's 'Access for All' mobility scooter training has been going from strength to strength and has received some very positive feedback from residents. The Council has been working in partnership with Shopmobility Stockport to give free scooter training to mobility scooter users within Stockport, through a number of events that have run around the borough. First launched last year, the Council-organised events provide residents with scooter training and useful tips to ensure mobility scooter users are safe whilst out and about. For more information on staying safe on a mobility scooter contact the Road Safety Team ...
It is one of the unexpected pleasures in the life of a bureaucrat to discover a whole new range of rules to play with. So you can imagine my delight that the East of England Regional Constitution differs from that in London. Even better, it has become apparent that my new colleagues haven't had an opportunity to read it themselves, so I find myself as the Region's constitutional guru. Whilst gratifying, it presents its own problem, in that I haven't actually read it in full myself. So, my evening is now dedicated to doing just that, in the first instance ...
So the outgoing Chair of Ofsted thinks that 'one good thing about primary school is that every kid learns how to deal with a really s*** teacher'? Oh great! Zenna Atkins told The Sunday Times that 'every school should have a useless teacher', believing that learning to cope with incompetent people was a good lesson ...
So, less than two months into the new job and the Conservative MP for Rochester & Strood in Kent, Mark Reckless has a reputation for being reckless by name and reckless by nature in the recent Budget debate. The recent Budget debate, that went on to the early hours of the morning was followed by a vote at around 2.00am in the morning. However, Mark Reckless MP did not participate in the vote because of his drunken state. The Daily Mail reports: Mr Reckless claimed he decided not to take part in the 2.07am vote because of his drunken state. ...
A comprehensive program of sex education is desperately needed across the British schooling system. The current efforts to amend the embarrassing lack of effective classes in our schools are simply not good enough, and we are allowing young people to be educated not by qualified teachers in a safe teaching environment, but on the internet, where young people now have unparalleled access to pornographic material. Those who argue that sex education erodes childhood innocence are clearly blind to the sad reality; if we allow ourselves to ignore this issue because of our own embarrassment, the generations of the future will ...
Robstick has happened upon some interesting information on the vaccination projects The government is committed to spending £6.6m on bovine tuberculosis vaccination research and £614,000 on the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project this year. As the cost of the cull is £2,830 per badger, that £614K is the equivalent of culling just 219 badgers. Next year it decreases to £418,000, equivalent to around 147 culled badgers. Hopefully the vaccination will work well enough to divert funds from culling into vaccination projects.
CocoRosie's new LP Grey Oceans has evoked mixed reactions. The Line of Best Fit says: Evidently there is something slightly magic going on. CocoRosie were good before, but now their exotic, unique charm is tempered with songwriting maturity. Grey Oceans gathers influences and instruments - nursery rhymes, electronica, choral music, hip hop, Indian strings, even a sample of their mother singing in Cherokee on the mournful, mumbled 'Undertaker' - into well-crafted, intensely evocative songs.Drowned in Sound says: For all their faults, the world is undoubtedly a richer place to have a group like CocoRosie out there doing what they do ...
The Independent this week reported that Nick Clegg is holding an "away day" for all 57 Liberal Democrat MPs when he will urge them to hold their nerve and show discipline when faced with public anger over the coalition government's austerity measures: They have all been called to next Thursday's away day at the Local Government Association headquarters in Westminster, where they will be joined by Liberal Democrat peers, council leaders and party officials. Mr Clegg's aim to reassure them the party is achieving concrete results from the power-sharing deal, citing the commitment to hold a referendum on electoral reform ...
Port Vale 4 Ever has some photographs of this pre-season friendly -a notable day in the town's football history. Harborough Town used to be known as Market Harborough Town Imperials. Any spectator shouting "Give us an M" was banned for life.
The /etc directory on my computer somehow got corrupted yesterday, and I had to do a clean reinstall, losing much (though thankfully not quite all) of the stuff I've been working on for my course (I back up /home, but I don't back up /var, and I was doing web stuff, and while I had ...
Whilst the World Cup in South Africa has in many ways been a success, it has again highlighted that World Football is run by a bunch of self satisfied cronies who care little about the game, and more about money. Firstly, because of an exclusive agreement, a finanical agreement with Adidas, FIFA agreed to use the new Jabulani ball, which has been widely seen as making the matches worse and preventing some of usual long range goals that light up so many games. It is interesting to note that even the ex Liverpool player Craig Johnson, inventor of the Predator ...
Delighted to hear that 4,500 people have joined the @libdems since the election! #fb # Can someone tell Lawro that just because someone touches the ball, doesn't mean it's not a foul! #worldcup #fb # Have discovered the joys of http://www.27bslash6.com #fb # At work (@ Cavendish School) http://4sq.com/bEOYIS # Powered by Twitter Tools
As from 1st August, the constituency office of Aberavon's Labour MP, Dr Hywel Francis, will be at: Water Street Business Centre Gwyn Terrace Port Talbot SA12 6LG Telephone and fax numbers will be the same.
You may or may not aware that the BBC have produced two (out of an eventual four) computer games featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy, which can be downloaded from the BBC website. I'm not much of a gamer myself, but I have commissioned 10-year-old F, my in-house expert, to tell us about the first one, City of the Daleks. Take it away, F!Hello? Is this what I speak into? Can you hear me at the back? IS THIS THING ON?!!? Ah, there we are. Now, I'm a big fan of video or computer games like Doctor Who: the Adventure ...
To the question "it's 90 years since Liberal Democrats have been in power - are you worried it will be another 90 years before you're in power again"? And the alternative is? A Tory minority government and more economic uncertainty until another general election in 6-12 months? A continuation of Labour and their cuts - don't forget their response to the Tories proposed increase in the inheritance tax threshold - Labour cut the 10% tax rate. In coalition we've already achieved higher tax for the better off in CGT and progress towards a personal allowance of £10k to help the ...
[IMG: Happy Anniversary, Glastonbury] Happy Anniversary, Glastonbury Volunteering for Shelter at Glastonbury was a lot of fun. Hard on the feet and earned one quite impressive blister, but the crowd was incredibly friendly and chatty and the eight hour shifts didn't seem that long at all. Although it's been a long time since I've done shift work - I'd forgotten how the final minutes really drag out if you're not busy. Bar staff of the world, I salute you. With the free time, got some great photos, saw some great bands, and was generally blown away by the whole event. ...
Since the coalition government was formed there have been some people in the Labour Party who appear to live in a state of perpetual outrage that they are no longer in Government and that any other party should have the temerity to take part in government. As a result certain individuals have taken to email all Lib Dem Councillors at regular intervals assuming that we will be as appalled as they are at the decisions which have had to be made in order to clear up the economic mess left by... well Labour actually. The inbuilt assumption is that we'll ...
So the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell has criticised David Cameron for failing to act quickly to scrap the part of the 1701 Act of Settlement which prevents Catholics from taking the throne or being part of the Royal Family. Joseph Devine said that this was a 'scandalous' law that discriminated against one group of people. I ...
I've been busy this week volunteering with the International Youth Arts Festival in Kingston, which has been a huge success. But it has meant that I haven't yet written about something very dear to me - the Freedom Bill. Uniquely it's an opportunity to get rid of laws instead of adding to them. And the Deputy Prime Minister is asking for suggestions about which laws to repeal. You can add your thoughts on the Your Freedom website. Nick Clegg poses three main questions to get you thinking, but ideas are not restricted to these: Which current laws would you like ...
For all my antipathy of this coalition; and my gut feeling that it will in the end be the ruin of us as a party. Putting aside the budget and the impending savage cuts to the public sector there have been some positives form an old left leaning Lib Dem like me. As Henry Porter points out in today's article in The Observer , many of the issues he and the paper have campaigned on in the recent Blair/Brown years are now being addressed by the coalition. Ending the child data baseWithdrawal from Sangin and determining a date for complete ...
[IMG: Schoolchildren] The two organizations bidding to run the new primary school on Gunhild Way in Queen Edith's will be presenting their proposals to the public this Thursday at the Cambridge Professional Development Centre in Trumpington (CB2 9NL) this Thursday 15th July. There will be public displays from 5 to 6 p.m. before the presentations. The meeting is open to everyone. There are just two bidders: The Queen Edith Community Federation Group and the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia. You can read their full bids here. The new primary school will be on what is now Netherhall Lower School, ...
I thought I had seen pretty much everything that the Republican right wing could spout in my life, but this is about one of the most offensive attack ads i have seen the party release. Calling Obama's healthcare plans an attack on Freedom and Liberty and akin to slavery, the ad shows pictures of Auschwitz ...
I blogged my disappointment at Pickles's speech to the LGA and I see I'm not the only person unimpressed by Pickles's Bournemouth 'speech': I followed Communities secretary Eric Pickles' speech to the Local Government Association conference yesterday on television. If there was a serious message in there somewhere, it was crowded out by a procession of terrible, over-rehearsed jokes, and a truly awesome smugness.Pickles looks like he ought to be a natural wit - my colleague Peter Hetherington uses the epithet "engaging" to describe him - but this was glib, Daily Mail-pastiche, stuffed with cliche and mixed metaphor.Local government he ...
As the rest of us settle in front of the telly and choose freely which team to cheer – Spain or the Netherlands – spare a thought for Nick Clegg, biologically half-Dutch, and married to a Spaniard. As The Independent reported his dilemma: Tensions will run high in the Deputy Prime Minister's house this Sunday evening when the Netherlands take on Spain in the World Cup final. Nick Clegg's wife, Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, who was born in the Spanish village of Olmedo, north-west of Madrid, will naturally be cheering on her homeland, along with her two football-mad eldest sons, Antonio, ...
Yesterday's Western Mail reports that Tory MP, David Davies, who has taken over as Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee has discussed the possibility of investigating the Assembly Government's delivery of major public services: Media reports in Scotland have suggested the committee is to link up with its counterparts covering Scotland and Northern Ireland to carry out joint inquiries into service delivery by the devolved administrations. Mr Davies confirmed he had discussed the matter with Ian Davidson, the Labour chairman of the Scottish Affairs Committee. He said: "What's happened is that, quite naturally, I've had discussions with Ian Davidson ...
After watching Family Guy last night, I turned to BBC News 24 for a quick catch up on what was going on in the world before going to bed. It was the newspaper review. The first story that got discussed was chosen by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. It appears in today's Observer and is about Andrew Lansley's proposals for reform of the NHS. Alibhai-Brown disapproved of the changes. She didn't say she disapproved because they were wrong but because it was the thin end of the wedge: eventually people might be allowed to make decisions for themselves about almost everything and where ...
Today's Sunday Telegraph reports that Lord Mandelson is facing a bitter backlash from within Labour's ranks over the publication of his book, in which he lifts the lid on more than a decade of in-fighting at the top of his party: Charlie Whelan, Mr Brown's former adviser, yesterday led the criticism of Lord Mandelson. He said: "Peter ran the worst general campaign in Labour's history. Nobody knew what the message was at all. It was a disaster from beginning to end." Mr Whelan, the political director of the Unite union, which is a major Labour donor, added: "Peter wasn't focused ...
With Alastair Campbells diaries out and soon to be released Tony Blair 'A Journey' and Peter Mandlesons 'The Third Man: Life at the Heart of New Labour' by Peter Mandelson and I expect others to come. Call me cynical if you wish but are the claims of New Labour being dead or perhaps not wanting to win the last election an attempt to sell books in the back of the minds of these men. David Miliband is now calling Labour 'Next Labour'. I have a suggestion why not call Labour simply 'Labour'. Then it can be Next, New, Old all ...
No local elections in Stockport in 1985, so it's on to 1986. Nothing of great interest (to me) for the 1986 results. The Liberal/SDP Alliance continued to make progress across the Hazel Grove constituency and to hold Cheadle Hulme North and South. The Revolutionary Communists did less well with just 59 votes in North Reddish. Better luck next time guys...we'll see. 01/05/86 1986 Stockport Bredbury (11198) @ 1 vote share Humphries D. Ms.* Lib/SDP 2672 57.5 Woodrow J. Lab 1072 23.1 Stones T. Ms. Con 906 19.5 ffff 1982: Lib/Sdp Turnout 41.5 34.4 Brinnington (8454) @ 1 vote share Gallacher ...
Much as I admire and respect the Judges who decided last week to overturn a UK Border Agency decision to send two gay men home to live "discreetly", hiding their sexuality from regimes in Cameroon and Iran, where they might face jail, public flogging or execution for their preferences, it might have been best if one of the Judges had not sought to show his understanding of modern UK lifestyles. According to Eva Wiseman in today's Observer, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry then proceeded to put his foot in it: Lord Rodger, who should probably have thought twice and, ideally, restrained ...
The Fifa World Cup 2010 has come and gone and brought many surprises. One minute the South Americans shone and the Europeans were struggling, the next it was an all European World Cup. Germany were the big surprises to many (here or here) and while those who look back will say they knew Germany would ...
I have been storing up a few views on recent TV adverts. I'm in a positive mood, so I deal out my bouquets first. My TV ad of the month award goes to Walls Sausages for "Proper Food" featuring a modern day Viking. Here it is, it's just great: My second award goes to Barclays for proving that banks can put out a decent advert. This series is impeccably voiced by Stephen Merchant: But Barclays are a lone (porcelain) wolf amongst banks, concerning TV adverts. The giggly, simpering Nat West adverts drive me up the wall. But the current Halifax ...
Back in January I reported on a meeting I'd had with Mrs Yule, Headmistress at Lady Barn House School in Cheadle. We were looking at the traffic problems caused by school traffic coming onto Schools Hill to collect and drop off kids. At the time, the most realistic option to explore seemed to be a "walking bus" - where the pupils walk in a line to and from a drop-off/collection point (Shiers Drive being the most promising). Today I've received a letter from Mrs Yule saying that the option has been examined but the school feels it's neither safe nor ...
During the committee stage of the 'getting rid of ID cards' Bill - the issue was raised as to how this would impact on those living in an acquired gender. It is currently the case that a passport will be issued in the acquired gender on production of a medical report. In fact, it is the passport in the acquired gender that then helps the individual who is transitioning or who has transitioned to acquire the Gender Recognition Certificate which means that that person's gender will become, for all purposes, their gender. There is more information about the Gender Recognition ...
Labour is not taking to opposition very well. Partisan points of orders, revisionist attitudes to the fiscal situation and demanding the coalition praises their formers leaders. And now we see Labour figures demanding voters to see a referendum, on the principle of a fairer voting system, as a "confidence vote on the coalition." By asking the public for their ideas and recommendations for public sector cuts, the Coalition Government has intelligently put the Labour party in an uncomfortable place. The unions are threatening general strikes and the average voter recognises the ideological and partisan attitude of the union movement. The ...
I've been thinking about the whole 50% of the shadow cabinet must be women quota thing. I am against quotas/all [trait] lists etc. Lazy people tend to blame this on the fact that I am a white man. There is obviously no way I could match the marvellous (and probably magical) Charlotte Gore's take ("Positively discriminate this"), and it would be pointless and embarrassing to try. Edit: In an amazing coincidence Robstick has posted on the same topic this morning ("A Question of Equality") So instead I thought I'd ask "What would make parliament a truly accurate reflection of the ...
Sylvain Chavanel took the yellow on the damp and treacherous road into Spa, he only wore it for one day after that the cobbles of the Hell of the North causing his problems. However, just as Spa is famous for Formula 1 today on a Formula 1 Sunday the French man is back in yellow. Yesterday on the penultimate climb up the Col de la Croix de la Serra Chavanel in a grop of 7 started to pursue the leading group of 3 including his Quickstep team mate Jérôme Pineau. Pineau had taken maximum climbers points in the first 5 ...
I've noticed a trend among some Liberal Democrats lately of assuming that, because the party is in coalition with the Tories, they should say nice things about the Great Blue Evil and even defend Conservative Ministers when the inevitable (and probably not unreasonable) accusations of madness and megalomania are levelled against them. Sorry to opt ...
I remember when the SNP announced they were scrapping the first time home buyers grant of £2,000 thinking on the scale of their spending commitments this was short sighted if they were genuinely trying to get more homes built and people to live in them. Now we see they are scrapping energy saving home grants. How does this tie in with their climate change targets and strategy? Home energy use accounts for over a third of Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions and improving efficiency is considered to be one of the cheapest and quickest ways to meet climate change targets. The ...
i) births and deaths Nothing that caught my eye for this date. ii) broadcast anniversary 11 July 1964: broadcast of 'Hidden Danger', the third episode of the story we now refer to as The Sensorites, having been postponed for a week because of Wimbledon and cricket. Starts with Susan being uncharacteristically assertive against her grandfather, the Doctor (this is one of her best stories as a character). Team Tardis (apart from Barbara, who is getting a couple of weeks off) then travel to the city of the Sensorites, who are internally divided about talking to them; and as they sit ...
More papers online from our Dublin Conference « Territory and Justice: a research network To peruse later (tags: politics) How conflict masked the Twelfth's decline - Opinion - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk When I remember the Twelfth of my childhood years, I see the banners of the Orange Lodges appearing, tops first, from the south side of Finaghy Railway Bridge, and rising up to the hump of it like the sails of galleons in a summer breeze. (tags: northernireland) Tickets for semifinal safely secured, now where's the beer? I didn't feel unsafe, because I was surrounded by happy, high-spirited (I am using ``high-spirited'' ...
There was talk of education on Any Questions this week. The specific question was related to the importance of cuts in the schools building programme but there were subsidiary points including one about whether we can trust the comprehensive system or whether private education was the answer. There is no doubt that capital expenditure has been cut (but was it ever affordable in the first place). We can argue for a long time about the importance of good quality buildings as compared to portacabins or rattling windows in an old building. We can debate the need for state of the ...
